How to Deal with Difficult People
Mel Robbins shares research-backed strategies for handling difficult people, staying calm, and protecting your peace.
Emotional Immaturity
Emotional immaturity is present in everyone. Every adult you meet is essentially just an 8-year-old in a bigger body. It's essential to realize that adults throw tantrums too. When someone feels emotionally overwhelmed, their brain automatically shifts into survival mode.
The Let Them Theory
Using the "Let Them Theory," you can protect yourself from the instinctive reaction to try to fix or deal with a person’s behavior. People only change when they are ready to change for themselves. They won't change simply because you want them to. This is a fundamental rule of life: The more control you relinquish, the more control you actually gain.
Protecting Your Peace
It's never your responsibility to carry someone else's mood, manage their opinions, or fix their dysfunctions. When you allow people to be who they are and deal with their own experiences, you get something incredible in return: your time, energy, clarity, and peace.
"The more control that you give up, the more control you gain. It's never been your job to carry somebody else's mood or manage their opinions or their dysfunction." - Mel Robbins
Summary
Mel Robbins teaches us that by accepting others as they are and not taking on their emotional burdens, we can regain control over our own peace and well-being.